Good Food Gift?

[SweetErika]

This weekend, I need to make something for our fabulous neighborinos and a friend or two. I usually make rum cake for the holidays, but some of these specific people have kids and most of them don't drink/like alcohol.

I'd like something that doesn't take a ton of time or exotic ingredients because our grocery store is jammed on the weekends and this time of year. I have staples like dry goods, cocoa powder, eggs, milk, a cup of heavy cream, marshmallows, corn syrup, several kinds of chocolate chips, dried cranberries, raisins, cake mixes and other various things. No nuts, but I wouldn't include those anyway, in case there are allergies. I know fudge is an option with what we have, but I'm hoping for something a little more inspired.

Any ideas? Do you have a favorite treat to make and give away?

 

[Vixandra]

This year I've been doing covature chocolate and gingerbread people (okay, dinosaurs).

Maybe you could try what's called an Opera Cake http://www.alacuisine.org/alacuisine/2004/10/opera_cake_1.html You can change the flavorings on the inside to make it more kid friendly.

I've even done dairy free Opera Cakes with a soy milk based pudding on the inside that got rave reviews. They take a bit of work but are worth it.

Another fun one is the Sacher Torte http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/wolfgang-puck/wolfgangs-sachertorte-recipe/index.html If you're not a big apricot fan, raspberry filling is simply divine with the lush chocolate sponge in the Sacher.

Also fun is an Orange Supreme Tart:
http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2010/013/a/a/Orange_Supreme_Tart_by_Vixandra.jpg
That's a basic pre-baked tart crust, a sweet pastry cream, whipped chocolate ganache, candied orange peel and orange slices with a drizzle of white chocolate.

You could also do a Yule log/jelly roll type thing.

 

[NomadLady]

http://www.southernplate.com/2010/12/oreo-balls.html

This is one I always make during the holidays, also known as "snowman poop"
You'd be surprised hor decadent they are when you taste them and know it's just crushed oreos and cream cheese!!!

Save this lady's website, all her recipes have step by step instructions and are very easy and GOOD. Her Apple Dapple cake recipe if my favorite and I've already made 6 this year and will probably bake 4-5 more of them this weekend as gifts.

 

[unsureofherself]

hi...

one thing I like to do is layer up some jars with cookie ingredients and give it as a present...
http://www.christmastimeclipart.com/guide/christmas-ideas/diy-presents/gift-cookiejar.html

looks nice too....
I've also done small jars (I get mine from Ikea 4 for £2) with home made hot choc mix and attached little poem labels...

http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/hot-cocoa-mix/Detail.aspx (there are all sorts of recipes out there, some with nutmeg, chilli etc...)

you can also dip spoons into chocolate and tie these on too...

Hope you find an idea you like...
x

 

[silverwhisper]

erika, i've always been a fan of cookies. they're invariably well-received. if you have the patience for this sort of thing, some festively-decorated sugar cookies might do the trick. this does require an investment in cookie cutters & colored sugar, dragees & other assorted decorative accoutrements. and possibly icings of various colors. the old trick of a zip-top bag with a corner cut out could serve in place of a proper pastry bag. royal icing works nicely, is generally easy to work with, and the flooding technique is so simple, even i can do it.

one kind of sugar cookie that my wife has stopped making (which i have to say, i really miss) are "windowpane" cookies. it's a sugar cookie with a small hole cut in the center (if you have one, a very small cookie cutter would do). when baking, add some crushed hard candy.

ed

 

[TypicalDeviant]

I'll second cookies and toss in a vote for dessert breads, like banana, lemon-poppy seed, or cranberry-carrot, all of which are DELICIOUS.

 

[MsGoodBody]

.....

 

[Ellafun]

I'm a big fan of covering pretzels in chocolate...I use the pennysticks that are about half the size of a pretzel rod, and dip most of it in melted chocolate...and we call them "Reindeer Paws." Kids love them! Pretzel snaps are easy, also...small pretzel snacks with a chocolate kiss and m&m's on top.

Good luck, Merry Christmas, and love all the great ideas on here!

 

[SweetErika]

I'll second cookies and toss in a vote for dessert breads, like banana, lemon-poppy seed, or cranberry-carrot, all of which are DELICIOUS.

Do you have a favorite recipe for the cranberry carrot?

Actually, I do have fresh cranberries along with dried, so I could do something with those, too.

I'm pretty much out of the other stuff.


Ed, do you think your windowpane cookies would work with the starlight peppermints? That's the only hard candy I regularly keep on hand, though we might have some clear suckers left from halloween or something.

I have to say that I'm big on the cookie and smaller portion ideas because these families vary in size from like 2-8, so I'd like to be able to portion stuff out accordingly easily.

Someone PM'd me a peppermint patty recipe that looks really good, but I have extract instead of oil and I know not everyone is a huge fan of peppermint like I am.

 

[CJ1968]

Why not simply use a rum flavouring instead of rum for the rum cakes. It's a recipe you already know and the flavouring doesn't contain alcohol.

 

[silverwhisper]

erika, i'm not familiar with starlight peppermints, but my wife always used jolly ranchers, so if you're familiar with the size of that candy, that should give you a decent frame of reference.

ed

 

[DarkBee]

If it's for a regular joe, wouldn't meat and/or beer be a good choice? Or something you can deep-fry?

 

[SweetErika]

Why not simply use a rum flavouring instead of rum for the rum cakes. It's a recipe you already know and the flavouring doesn't contain alcohol.

Because the rum is the beauty of the cake. It has rum in the mix, then you soak it with a rum-butter-sugar glaze.

Plus, they have pecans on the bottom, which I don't have. I don't have rum, or any rum or artificial flavors, for that matter, either.

 

[locomotionlotion]

I made chocolate peanut butter for some friends a while back. They really seemed to dig it and its relatively easy to make.